SPECIFY & BULDJUNE 2026

LETTER FROM THE EDITORA s the specification sector continues to balance

NEWS \\ INDUSTRY UPDATESNew taxes add £76k to the cost of a new home

Construction begins on first fully-electric tile kilnwienerberger UK & Ireland has begun construction on

NEWS \\ INDUSTRY UPDATESPFKG address ‘confusion’ in fire specification

Home improvement spending growsPeople are spending more money on their homes

New bill cracks down on late paymentsThe UK government has introduced the Small Business

NEWS \\ INDUSTRY UPDATESArchitects ‘support mandatory CCPI assessment’

Strongest Q1 for new housing applications since 2022The number of new homes applied for in

THE KEY TO NON-DISRUPTIVE RETROFITPete Seddon , Head of Technical at Rinnai , discusses how high-temperature heat pumps are a vital tool to help minimise disruption during retrofit projects.

What to look for in membranes for Passivhaus projectsMembranes play an important part in helping to deliver airtightness, which is a fundamental principle of the Passivhaus standard. And whether airtight or vapour permeable, they contribute to the management of moisture within the building fabric, reducing the risk of condensation occurring. Pamela Howat, Senior Technical Advisor at Proctor Group, discusses what to look for in membranes when working on a Passivhaus building.

REDUCING OVERHEATING WITH COOL BREEZEVectaire’s Cool Breeze and Cool Breeze Plus are

SCHLUTER-SYSTEMS LAUNCHES DISPLAY AT MATERIAL SOURCESchlüter-Systems has announced the launch of its new

ZT AIR CONDITIONING UNITS READY FOR SUMMERMitsubishi Heavy Industries Air Conditioning Europe (MHIAE) has

IDEAL SYSTEM GETS TOP MARKS AT PRIMARY SCHOOLA hybrid commercial heating system from Ideal Commercial

FLOORING MAKES SCHOOL SAFE FOR VULNERABLE STUDENTSWhen Trinity School in Dagenham was being refurbished,

EJOT CROSSFIX PROVIDES READY-MADE FIXING SOLUTIONThe EJOT CROSSFIX facade support system has enabled Kovara Projects to install a complex timber cladding feature as part of a large new building at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.

DELIVERING RETROFIT AT SCALEJonathan Platt , Existing Buildings Lead at AES Sustainability , explores the impact of PAS 2035 on the retrofit market.

IS WATER TREATMENT UNDERMINING YOUR NET ZERO STRATEGY?Philip Gaffey , Managing Director of Gaffey , explores the link between water treatment and net zero building.

INCREASING THE SPEED OF TIMBER FRAME CONSTRUCTIONThe UK faces a housing shortage and must cut building sector carbon emissions to hit net zero. Quick build, low eco-impact timber frame construction can help meet both challenges, explains Arclin .

DONALDSON INTRODUCES AFFORDABLE HOUSING RANGED onaldson Timber Systems, a leading UK offsite timber

HOW SYSTEMISED BUILDING COULD HELP BRITAIN’S HOUSING CRISISGOLDBECK explains how systemised construction is changing the perception of offsite manufacturing processes.

A SMART KITCHEN SPECIFICATION CHOICE FOR NEWBUILDSDaniel Boulton , Sales & Procurement Director at Clearwater Products , explains how ceramic sinks bring character to newbuilds.

CREATING LUXURY APPEALBen Bryden , Sales & Marketing Director at RAK Ceramics , reveals the role luxury bathrooms play in influencing housebuyers.

TAKING TOWEL RAILS TO THE NEXT LEVELRichard Lister , National Sales Manager at The Radiator Company , explores how designer towel rails can help create a truly personal aesthetic for a kitchen, bathroom or washroom.

SCHLUTER EXPANDS DILEX-STF RANGE.. Schlüter-Systems has introduced the Schlüter-DILEX-STF, a structural

REFRESHED OMEGA RANGE FOR MODERN HOUSEBUILDERSBushboard has unveiled a refreshed identity for its

ENTRY-LEVEL BRASSWARE FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPERSRoca has introduced POLO+, a new entry-level brassware

JAQUAR ACCELERATES UK GROWTH WITH INTEGRATED BATHROOM AND WELLNESS OFFERINGDuring a recent visit to Jaquar’s Birmingham showroom, Specify & Build learned how the business is positioning itself within a competitive UK market.

A SMART BOOST TO SANIFLO’S CLEAR WATER RANGESaniflo has added the Saniboost Smart product to the

ADVANCED SMOKE CONTROL AND EVACUATION ALERT SYSTEMS PROTECT JOHN STREETA highrise development in John Street, Newham, has been

HUNTERS HELPS DELIVER HERITAGE-LED TOWN HALL TRANSFORMATIONWalworth Town Hall has undergone a landmark transformation, emerging

THE TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL CASE FOR GREEN ROOFSMike Vaczi , Technical Director at SOPREMA , examines the technical benefits green roofs can deliver, and the key design considerations for specifiers.

THE CRITICAL FUTURE ROLE OF WINDOWS AND DOORSJim Rowley , Technical Director at NorDan , explores the impact the Future Homes Standard is having on housebuilders and developers.

FIVE BENEFITS OF TIMBER-ALTERNATIVE WINDOW AND DOOR SYSTEMSThe Residence Collection explores five benefits of timber-alternative window and door systems, such as its Residence 9 range.

BALCONY ANCHOR ACHIEVES PASSIVE HOUSE CERTIFICATIONSapphire’s G30 balcony has officially been certified as a

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE ON ROOFLIGHT PROJECTSPaul Smith , Technical Chair for The Rooflight Association , explains the importance of regulatory compliance on rooflight projects for safety, good practice and realising project ambitions.

SMARTER DRAINAGE FOR TIGHTER SPACESSpecify & Build speaks to Chris Goodwin , Product Manager at Polypipe Building Services , about the expanded Terrain FUZE HDPE range and what it means for specifiers tackling complex drainage challenges.

BALANCING SPACE, HYGIENE AND PERFORMANCEErik Mul , Product Manager at ACO Building Drainage , looks at how specifiers can anticipate potential drainage issues in high-use washrooms before they become problems.

SAVE WATER ONE FLUSH AT A TIMERoss Rigby , UK Commercial Manager at SIAMP , reveals how even small specification decisions can have a significant impact on water saving and sustainability.

DOING THE DOUBLEPolypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation explores why a dual approach is needed to maximise resilience in the water sector.

A PURE AND SIMPLE SOLUTION TO THE FUTURE HOMES STANDARDSenior Architectural Systems is helping designers and housebuilders prepare

EGGER LAUNCHES NEW FLAME-RETARDANT OSB BOARDEGGER UK has expanded its portfolio with the launch

A CARBON CUTTING CONCEPT FOR REFURBJohnson Tiles is supporting the commercialisation of a

R-DME: AN ENERGY SOURCE FOR THE NEAR FUTUREChris Goggin of Rinnai. Renewable Dimethyl Ether (r-DME) is

TARGETING QUIETER LOW-CARBON HEATSpecify & Build met with Craig Dolan , Senior Product Manager at Dimplex , to learn how the Latitude Commercial air source heat pump addresses practical low-carbon specification challenges.

WHY PRECISION MATTERS WHEN TALKING ABOUT MEMBRANESPamela Howat , Senior Technical Advisor at Proctor Group , explains the similarities and differences between membrane terminology.

INSTALLERSHOW BRINGS NEW TECHNOLOGY TO SPECIFIERSInstallerSHOW 2026 is returning to the NEC, Birmingham, from 23-25 June, giving visitors the chance to see new technology and hands-on demonstrations.

MXPRO DELIVERS RELIABLE FIRE PROTECTIONThe Royal Marine Hotel, County Dublin, has completed a

PUTTING INNOVATION INTO MOTION FOR MANUFACTURING FACILITYSenior Architectural Systems has supplied a full package of

AN AIR OF LUXURY FOR NEW HOME DEVELOPMENTThe first site development by a new luxury housebuilder

PYROGUARD AND SCHUCO DELIVER HIGH PERFORMANCE FACADEPyroguard, a leading independent provider of high-performance fire safety

SIKA BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO HISTORIC BUILDINGA Grade II-listed property in Aberdare, Wales, has received

HEAT PUMPS WITHOUT THE HEADACHERinnai Director Chris Goggin explores the different methods of heat pump measurement that reveal heat pump performance.

NEW PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION FOR PRECAST CONCRETE FACADESSiderise has launched its new PC-FS Firestop and PC-CB